Electrical connector having offset mounting terminals

ABSTRACT

In accordance with one embodiment, an electrical connector includes a housing that supports a plurality of electrical contacts. Each electrical contact defines a mating end and an opposing mounting end, and a plurality of mounting terminals disposed at the mounting end. The mounting terminals of each contact are arranged in at least one column extending along a longitudinal direction, such that each column is spaced along a lateral direction, and the mounting terminals of adjacent contacts are longitudinally offset.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/257,180, filed Nov. 2, 2009, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Electrical connectors used to transmit data signals and/or electricalpower, such as alternating current (AC) power and/or direct current (DC)power, may include a plurality of power contacts and a plurality ofsignal contacts mounted in an electrically-insulative housing. In atypical application, the connector may be configured to be mounted ontoa substrate, such as a printed circuit board, and configured to matewith a complementary electrical component, which can be a power cable orcomplementary electrical connector, for example. Specifically, eachcontact within the housing may include one or more header and/orreceptacle contacts that mate with opposed receptacle and/or headercontacts, respectively, of the complementary electrical component.

A typical contact includes multiple terminals or pins extending from abottom portion for electrically connecting the contact to a substrate,such as a printed circuit board. In the case of power contacts, highvoltage levels traveling through the terminals can produce arcing acrossthe terminals, or leaking or creeping as described in UL Spec 746A,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. It is known,therefore, that under otherwise constant conditions, for instancesubstrate material and the number of terminals, spacing the terminalsaway from each other can reduce the instances of arcing. However,spacing the terminals farther apart while maintaining the number ofterminals adds to the overall footprint of the connector, therebyoccupying valuable space on the circuit board.

In the case of signal contacts, cross-talk between contacts can erodesignal transmission if, for instance, the terminals are spaced too closetogether. Again, however, spacing the mounting terminals farther apartresults in an increase of the connector footprint on the circuit board.

It is therefore desirable to provide an electrical contact havingimproved electrical properties without increasing the footprint of theconnector on the substrate to which the connector is mounted.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment, an electrical connector includes aconnector housing that defines a mating interface and an opposedmounting interface. The electrical connector further includes a firstelectrical contact supported by the connector housing and a secondelectrical contact supported by the housing, each of the first andsecond electrical contacts defining a mating end and an opposedplurality of mounting terminals. The mounting terminals of each of thefirst and second electrical contacts are arranged in respective firstand second longitudinally elongate columns that are laterally adjacent,such that no mounting terminals are disposed laterally between the firstand second adjacent columns. The second column of the first electricalcontact is disposed laterally adjacent the first column of the secondelectrical contact such that no mounting terminals are disposedlaterally between the second column of the first electrical contact andthe first column of the second electrical contact. At least a firstmounting terminal of a select one of the first columns is offset in thelongitudinal direction with respect all of the mounting terminals of atleast one of the second columns.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front perspective view of an electrical header connectorconstructed in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a bottom perspective view of the electrical connectorillustrated in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of one of the power contacts of theelectrical connector illustrated in FIGS. 1A-B;

FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of the power contact illustrated inFIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a schematic top plan view of a footprint of a printed circuitboard onto which the contacts of the connector illustrated in FIGS. 1A-Bare configured to be mounted;

FIG. 3B is schematic top plan view of the power terminal footprint ofthe connector illustrated in FIGS. 1A-B;

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of an electrical receptacleconnector configured to mate with the electrical header connectorillustrated in FIGS. 1A-B;

FIG. 4B is a bottom perspective view of the electrical receptacleconnector illustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a power contact of the electricalreceptacle connector illustrated in FIGS. 4A-B;

FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of the power contact illustrated inFIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a schematic top plan view of a footprint of a printed circuitboard onto which the electrical contacts of the connector illustrated inFIGS. 4A-B are configured to be mounted;

FIG. 7A is a front perspective view of an electrical header connectorconstructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 7B is a bottom perspective view of the electrical header connectorillustrated in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8 is a schematic top plan view of a footprint of a printed circuitboard onto which the electrical contacts of the connector illustrated inFIGS. 8A-B are configured to be mounted;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a cable header connector constructed inaccordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 9B is a side elevation view of the cable header connectorillustrated in FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a cable receptacle connectorconfigured in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 10B is a side elevation view of the cable receptacle connectorillustrated in FIG. 10A;

FIG. 11A is a front perspective view of an electrical receptacleconnector configured to mate with the cable header connector illustratedin FIGS. 9A-B;

FIG. 11B is a bottom perspective view of the electrical receptacleconnector illustrated in FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12 is a schematic top plan view of a footprint of a printed circuitboard configured onto which the electrical contacts of the cablereceptacle connector illustrated in FIGS. 11A-B are configured to bemounted;

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of an electrical header connectorconstructed in accordance with another alternative embodiment;

FIG. 13B is a front elevation view of the connector illustrated in FIG.13A;

FIG. 13C is a schematic bottom plan view showing a footprint of theelectrical connector illustrated in FIG. 13A relative to a substrateonto which the electrical contacts of the electrical connector areconfigured to be mounted;

FIG. 13D is a perspective view of one of the electrical contacts of theconnector illustrated in FIG. 16A;

FIG. 14A is a schematic view of a footprint defined by mountingterminals of the connector illustrated in FIG. 13A in accordance withone embodiment; and

FIG. 14B is a schematic view of a footprint defined by mountingterminals of the connector illustrated in FIG. 13A in accordance withanother embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A-2B, an electrical connector 20 includes aninsulative dielectric connector housing 22 and a plurality of electricalcontacts 21, including signal contacts 24 and power contacts 26,supported by the connector housing 22. The signal contacts 24 provideelectrical connectivity for data transmission signals, while the powercontacts 26 provide electrical connectivity for power transmission usingalternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). In accordance with oneembodiment, the power contacts 26 transmit power at any desired ACvoltage, such as between and including 400V AC and 480V AC, and at anydesired current, such as approximately 7A. The signal contacts 24 can beidentically or substantially identically constructed, and the powercontacts 26 can be identically or substantially identically constructed.

Certain terminology may be used in the following description forconvenience only and should not be considered as limiting in any way.Fore instance, the connector housing 22 is illustrated as beinggenerally rectangular in shape, and can extend horizontally along alongitudinal direction “L” and lateral direction “A”, and verticallyalong a transverse direction “T”. The housing is elongate in thelongitudinal direction L. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms“lateral,” “longitudinal,” and “transverse” as used to describe theorthogonal directional components of the electrical connector 20 arelikewise used to describe the directional components of the remainder ofthe electrical connector 20. The terms “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,”“upper,” and “lower” designate directions in the figures to whichreference is made. Likewise, the terms “inwardly,” “outwardly,”“upward,” and “downward” may designate directions toward and away from,respectively, the geometric center of the referenced object. Theterminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivativesthereof, and words of similar import.

It should be appreciated that while the longitudinal and lateraldirections are illustrated as extending along a horizontal plane, andthat the transverse direction is illustrated as extending along avertical plane, the planes that encompass the various directions maydiffer during use, depending, for instance, on the desired orientationof the electrical components. Accordingly, the terms “vertical” and“horizontal” are used to describe the electrical connector 20 asillustrated merely for the purposes of clarity and convenience, it beingappreciated that these orientations may change during use.

The connector housing 22 defines a mating interface 29 and an opposedmounting interface 37. The mating interface 29 is configured to engage acomplementary mating interface of an electrical component, such as anelectrical connector, that mates with the electrical connector 20. Forinstance, the connector housing 22 can include any suitable alignmentand/or retention features 23 configured to engage correspondingalignment features of the complementary connector. The alignmentfeatures 23 are illustrated as recesses formed in the housing 22 that isconfigured to receive a complementary alignment feature in the form of apost when the electrical connector 20 is mated to the complementaryconnector. The mounting interface 37 is configured to be mounted onto asubstrate, such as a printed circuit board 33 illustrated in FIG. 3.Because the mating interface 29 is oriented substantially perpendicularto the mounting interface 37, the electrical connector 20 can bereferred to as a right-angle connector. Alternatively, the electricalconnector 20 can be constructed as a “vertical” or “mezzanine”arrangement whereby the mating interface 29 is oriented substantiallyparallel to the mounting interface 37.

The signal contacts 24 can be constructed as pins, each including a bodyportion 28 that define a mating end 30 at one end, and a mountingterminal 32 opposite the mating end 30. The mating ends 30 areconfigured to mate with complementary mating ends of electrical contactsof the complementary electrical component that is to be mated with theelectrical connector 20.

The mounting terminals 32 extend down from the housing 22, and areconfigured to connect to the printed circuit board 33. In oneembodiment, the mounting terminals 32 are inserted through complementaryplated through-holes 35 that extend through the printed circuit board33. Alternatively, the mounting terminals 32 can be surface-mounted tothe printed circuit board 33 as desired. The mounting terminals 32 canfurther be soldered to the printed circuit board 33 as desired. Thus,the signal contacts 24 can place the printed circuit board 33 inelectrical communication with the complementary electrical connectorthat is mated to the electrical connector 20. The signal contacts 24 areconfigured to transmit signal data between the printed circuit board 33and the complementary electrical connector. As illustrated, the matingends 30 extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to themounting terminals 32, such that the signal contacts 26 can be referredto as right-angle electrical contacts. Alternatively, the signalcontacts 24 can be constructed as a “vertical” or “mezzanine”arrangement whereby the mating end 30 extends in a direction parallel tothe mounting terminals 32.

Likewise, the power contacts 26 each define a mating end 34 at one end,and an opposing mounting terminal 36 at the other end. The mating ends34 are configured to mate with complementary mating ends of theelectrical connector that is to be mated with the electrical connector20. The mounting terminals 36 are configured to connect to the printedcircuit board 33. In one embodiment, the mounting terminals 36 areinserted through plated through-holes 63 of the printed circuit board33. The through-holes 63 can define mounting locations 66 that define afootprint constructed as described with respect to the footprint 68described below with respect to FIG. 3B. Alternatively, the mountingterminals 36 can be surface-mounted to the printed circuit board 33. Themounting terminals 26 can further be soldered to the printed circuitboard 33 as desired. Thus, the power contacts 26 can place the printedcircuit board 33 in electrical communication with the complementaryelectrical connector that is mated to the electrical connector 20. Thepower contacts 26 are configured to electrical power between the printedcircuit board 33 and the complementary electrical component orconnector. As illustrated, the mating ends 34 extend in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the mounting ends 36 such that the powercontacts 26 can be referred to as right-angle contacts. Alternatively,the power contacts 26 can be constructed as a “vertical” or “mezzanine”arrangement whereby the mating ends 34 extend in a direction parallel tothe mounting ends 36.

Because the mating ends 30 and 34 of the signal contacts 24 and powercontacts 26, respectively are configured to be received by theircomplementary contacts, they are referred to as “plug” or “header”contacts, and the electrical connector 20 can be referred to as a “plug”or “header” connector.

As shown in FIGS. 2A-B, each of the power contacts 26 includes a pair ofopposed major side walls 38 and 40. A front projection, identifiedgenerally by numeral 42 includes a pair of opposed cantilever beams 44,each beam having inwardly converging proximal section 46, arcuatecontact section 48 and a distal section 50. The opposed distal sections50 are preferably parallel to each other. The distal sections 50 can bepositioned slightly apart when the beams are in relaxed condition, butcan be flexible and brought together when the beams are deflected as thefront projection is inserted into a complementary receptacle contact,thereby providing over-stress protection for the beams during mating.While each of the cantilever beams 44 is continuous vertically from itsupper end to its lower end, it should be appreciated that the beams 44may alternatively be split into an upper section that is separated froma lower section, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,075, the disclosureof which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in itsentirety herein.

The side walls 38 and 40 also include first and second substantiallyplanar panels 52 and 54 that extend rearward from the beams 44. Themounting terminal 36 of each power contact 26 includes a first at leastone mounting terminal 56 (a pair of terminals 56 as illustrated) thatextends down from an edge of the panel 52, and a second at least onemounting terminal 58 (a pair of terminals 58 as illustrated) thatextends down from an edge of the panel 54. As will be described in moredetail below, at least a select one of the mounting terminals 56 of aselect column is longitudinally offset with respect to all mountingterminals 58 of the adjacent column. Thus, the adjacent column is devoidof mounting terminals that are laterally aligned with the selectmounting terminal. The mounting terminals 56 and 58 can definethrough-hole, solder-to-board pins (as shown), press fit pins or surfacemount tails, or any suitable alternative structure configured toelectrically connect to the printed circuit board 33. The panels 52 and54 are connected by upper arcuate bridging elements 60 and 62. A medialspace 64, adapted for air flow, is defined between the panels 52 and 54.The contact 26 is stamped or otherwise formed as a single piece from astrip of suitable contact materials such as phosphor bronze alloys,beryllium copper alloys, or any suitable alternative electricallyconductive material.

FIG. 3A illustrates the printed circuit board 33 as including aplurality of mounting locations 66, which can be provided as platedthrough holes 66 and 35 configured to receive the mounting terminals 32and 36 of the signal contacts 24 and power contacts 26 as describedabove. The mounting terminals can define any geometrical cross-sectionalshape as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 3B, the mounting terminals 36 of the powercontacts 26 defines a footprint 68 taken from a bottom plan view of theelectrical connector 20. The electrical connector 20 is illustrated asincluding three power contacts 26A-C, though any number of powercontacts 26 can be provided as desired. Furthermore, while the footprint68 is illustrated with respect to the power contacts 26, it should beappreciated that the footprint can likewise be defined by the mountingterminals 32 of the signal contacts 24. The mounting terminals 56 and 58of the power contacts 26 are arranged in a plurality of columns. Forinstance, the first mounting terminals 56 of each power contact 26 arearranged in a first column 1 of the respective contact, and the secondmounting terminals 58 of each power contact 26 are arranged in a secondcolumn 2 of the respective contact 26. Columns 1 and 2 of each powercontact 26 are disposed laterally adjacent each other and extend along adirection that is substantially parallel to each other. The powercontacts 26 are further arranged such that the first column 1 of onepower contact 26 is disposed laterally adjacent to the second column 2of its adjacent power contact 26.

The spacing between the centerlines of adjacent columns 1 and 2 may bereferred to as the column pitch CP. The column pitch CP1 between columns1 and 2 of a given power contact 26 is illustrated as being less thanthe column pitch CP2 between columns 2 and 1 of adjacent power contacts26. In the illustrated embodiment, the column pitch CP1 can be between 1and 4 mm, such as between 2 and 3 mm, such as between 2.25 and 2.75 mm,for instance approximately 2.5 mm or more particularly 2.54 mm. Thecolumn pitch CP2 can be between 1 and 6 mm, such as between 2 and 5 mm,such as between 3 and 4 mm, such as between 3.5 and 4 mm, such asapproximately 3.8 mm or more particularly 3.81 mm. Thus, the columns 1and 2 of a given power contact 26 are spaced laterally closer togetherthan the columns of adjacent power contacts 26 such that the columnpitch CP2 is greater than the column pitch CP1, as illustrated in FIG.3B. It should be appreciated, however, that the column pitch CP1 couldalternatively be substantially equal to or greater than the column pitchCP2 if desired. It should be further appreciated that any desired columnpitch could be used as desired.

One or more, up to all as illustrated, of the first and second terminals56 and 58 of each power contact 26 are aligned with the respective liketerminals 56 and 58 of the other power contacts 26, arranged in rows1-4. A first or upper terminal 56′ of the first terminals 56 is disposedin row 1, a first or upper terminal 58′ of the second terminals 58 isdisposed in row 2, a second or lower terminal 56″ of the first terminals56 is disposed in row 3, and a second or lower terminal 58″ of thesecond terminals 58 is disposed in row 4. The spacing between thecenterlines of adjacent rows may be referred to as the row pitch RP. Asillustrated, the row pitch RP1 of the mounting terminals 56′ and 56″along column 1 is twice the row pitch RP. The Row pitch RP1 can be equalor substantially equal to the row pitch RP2 of the mounting terminals58′ and 58″, though the row pitch RP1 could be greater or less than rowpitch RP2 if desired. As illustrated, the row pitch RP between adjacentrows 1-4 can be between 1 and 4 mm, such as between 2 and 3 mm, such asbetween 2.25 and 2.75 mm, for instance approximately 2.5 mm or moreparticularly 2.54 mm. Thus, rows 1-4 can be spaced apart the samedistance as the columns 1 and 2 of a given contact 26.

Furthermore, the mounting terminals 56 and 58 of a given power contact26 are longitudinally staggered with respect to each other, such that atleast one of the mounting terminals 56 and 58 along the respectivecolumn is disposed longitudinally between a pair of the other terminals56 and 58 of the adjacent column. Otherwise stated, the rows 1 and 3defined by the terminals of one column of a given power contact 26 arenot aligned with the rows 2 and 4 defined by the terminals of the othercolumn of the power contact 26. For example, a select mounting terminalsuch as the bottom mounting terminal 56″ of the power contact 26A isdisposed longitudinally between the adjacent terminals 58; and 58″. Itis further appreciated that no terminals are disposed between themounting terminals 58′ and 58″ along column 2. Otherwise stated, column2 is devoid of mounting terminals that are in lateral alignment with thebottom mounting terminal 56″. The bottom terminal 56″ can be disposedlongitudinally midway between the adjacent terminals 58′ and 58″, suchthat the mounting terminals 56″ and the mounting terminals 58′ and 58″define the vertices of an isosceles triangle 70. The angles defined bythe vertices of the triangle 70 can be dependent on the correspondingrow pitch, and column pitch CP1. It should be appreciated that whileterminals of one column are illustrated as being disposed midway betweenthe terminals of an adjacent column with respect to the longitudinaldirection, the terminals can be offset by any distance as desired.

FIGS. 1-3B illustrate that the connector housing 22 supports a firstelectrical contact 26A and a second electrical contact 26B. Each of thefirst and second electrical contacts 26A and 26B defines respectivemating ends 34 and an opposed plurality of mounting terminals 56 and 58.The mounting terminals 56 and 58 of each of the first and secondelectrical contacts 26A and 26B are arranged in respective first andsecond longitudinally elongate columns 1 and 2 that are laterallyadjacent, such that no mounting terminals are disposed laterally betweenthe first and second adjacent columns 1 and 2. The second column 2 ofthe first electrical contact 26A is disposed laterally adjacent thefirst column 1 of the second electrical contact 26B such that nomounting terminals are disposed laterally between the second column 2 ofthe first electrical contact 26A and the first column 1 of the secondelectrical contact 26B. At least a first mounting terminal (such asmounting terminal 56″) of a select one of the first columns 1 (forinstance, column 1 of the first electrical contact 26A) is offset in thelongitudinal direction with respect to at least a second mountingterminal (such as mounting terminal 58;) of one of the second columns 2(for instance, column 2 of the first electrical contact 26B).Furthermore, the first mounting terminal 56″ of the first column 1 ofthe first electrical contact 26A is offset in the longitudinal directionwith respect to all mounting terminals 58 of the second column 2 of thefirst electrical contact 26B. It should be appreciated that the selectone of the first columns 1 can be the column 1 of the first electricalcontact 26A or the first column 1 of the second electrical contact 26B,and the select one of the second columns 2 can be the column 2 of thefirst electrical contact 26A or the second column 2 of the secondelectrical contact 26B

With continuing reference to FIG. 3B, each column 1 and 2 of a givenpower contact 26 includes a terminal 56 or 58 that is disposedlongitudinally between adjacent terminals 58 or 56, respectively,disposed along an immediately adjacent column of an immediately adjacentpower contact 26. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment,immediately adjacent power contacts 26 are arranged such that no powercontacts are disposed between the immediately adjacent power contacts.For instance, the upper terminal 58′ of column 2 of power contact 26A isdisposed longitudinally between the mounting terminals 56′ and 56″ ofcolumn 1 of the immediately adjacent contact 26B. It should beappreciated that no terminals are disposed between rows 1 and 3 alongcolumn 1 of contact 26B. The upper terminal 58′ of the power contact 26Ais illustrated as disposed longitudinally midway between the adjacentterminals 56′ and 56″ of the immediately adjacent contact 26B, such thatthe mounting terminals 58′, 56′ and 56″ define an isosceles triangle 72.The angles defined by the vertices of the triangle 72 can be dependenton the row pitch RP of the terminals and also on the column pitch CP2.Because the column pitch CP2 is greater than the column pitch CP1, theangles defined at the base of triangle 72 are greater than the anglesdefined at the base of triangle 70. It should be appreciated that whileterminals of one column are illustrated as being disposed longitudinallymidway between the terminals of an adjacent column of the adjacentconnector, the terminals can be offset by any longitudinal distance asdesired.

Thus, the mounting terminals 56 and 58 of adjacent columns 1 and 2 of agiven power contact 26 are spaced apart a greater distance than if theywere not longitudinally offset (e.g., than if they were in lateralalignment). Thus, it can be said that a select pair of mountingterminals disposed in adjacent columns are spaced apart a distancegreater than the lateral distance between the adjacent columns.Specifically, conventional connectors have been constructedsubstantially as illustrated with respect to the electrical connector20, however the mounting terminals are not longitudinally offset in themanner described above. Therefore, the present connector 20 providesincreased spacing between the mounting terminals without increasing thefootprint of the mounting end of the connector with respect to thesimilarly constructed connector. Otherwise stated, a conventionalconnector can be modified by offsetting the mounting terminals alongevery other column to increase the distance between adjacent terminalswithout increasing the footprint of the mounting end of the connector.

It should further be appreciated that the increased spacing between themounting terminals 56 and 58 allows the power contacts 26 to carry anincreased working voltage (for instance 400V or greater) with respect toconventional terminals, while at the same time reducing or preventingarcing across the mounting terminals 56 and 58 during operation. Thepower contacts 26 can further carry greater current than othersingle-beam contacts

While the power contacts 26A-C are illustrated as having columns ofoffset terminals 56 and 58 as described above, it should be appreciatedthat the power contacts 26A-C can be constructed from a substantiallyidentical connector including four aligned terminals in each column 1and 2, such that electrical contacts of the first and second columns arelongitudinally aligned. Certain select mounting terminals can be removedor otherwise eliminated to arrive at the footprint having longitudinallyoffset mounting terminals as described above with reference to FIG. 3B.It should further be appreciated that the power contacts 26A-C caninclude any number of terminals 56 and 58 as desired, which can beproduced by removing selected terminals from a preexisting contacthaving contacts in each column, and in particular by removing selectedcontacts from one of the columns that are aligned with contacts of theother column. It should further be appreciated that the power contacts26 are devoid of ground contacts disposed between the power contacts 26.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,182,642, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein,current generally follows a path of least resistance along the powercontacts 26 to the terminals 36 and then into the printed circuit board33. Accordingly, in conventional connectors, increased numbers ofterminals generally allow for higher levels of current to flow throughthe contact. Unfortunately, increased numbers of terminals decreases thespacing between terminals, which limits the working voltage. The powercontacts 26 are arranged with dual side walls 38 and 40, therebydividing current evenly through the mounting terminals 56 and 58. Thepower contacts 26 thus provide better, or more uniform, currentdistribution than conventional single-beam contacts.

Accordingly, the electrical connector 20 includes power contacts 26 thatare configured to increase the space between adjacent terminals 36 of agiven power contact 26 and/or between two immediately adjacent powercontacts 26, thereby increasing the working voltage between the mountingand mating ends while avoiding arcing, without otherwise increasing theoverall footprint at the mounting end 36 of the connector. Furthermore,the contacts 26 provide a more uniform current distribution thanconventional single-beam contacts.

When the 56 or 58 terminals of a given column 1 or 2, respectively, aredisposed longitudinally midway of the terminals of an adjacent column,whether of a common electrical contact (for instance, the same powercontact 26) or of an adjacent electrical contact (such as a powercontact 26), the spacing between the terminals can be maximized.Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the current levels travelingthrough the terminals can be adjusted by correspondingly adjusting thenumber of terminals disposed in each column 1 and 2. Any suitable numberof terminals 56, 58 can be disposed along the columns 1 and 2 of thepower contacts 26A-C as desired.

While the footprint 68 and its alternative embodiments have beenillustrated and described with respect to the mounting terminals 36 ofone or more adjacent AC power contacts 26, it should be appreciated thatthe footprint 68 can be defined by the mounting terminals of any type ofcontact, for instance single-beam AC power contacts, the signal contacts24, or DC power contacts. While various embodiments have been describedin combination with the electrical header connector 20, it should beappreciated that the various structures and features described hereincan also be applicable to differently constructed header connectors, andcan also be applicable to receptacle connectors, as will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 4A-6.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4A-6, an electrical connector 120 is configuredto mate with the electrical connector 20 described above. The electricalconnector 120 includes an insulative or dielectric connector housing 122and a plurality of electrical contacts 121, including a plurality ofsignal contacts 124 and power contacts 126, supported by the connectorhousing 122. The signal contacts 124 provide electrical connectivity fordata transmission signals, while the power contacts 126 provideelectrical connectivity for power transmission. The signal contacts 124can be identically or substantially identically constructed, and thepower contacts 126 can be identically or substantially identicallyconstructed.

The signal contacts 124 can be constructed as pins, each including abody portion 128 having a mating end 130 at one end, and a mountingterminal 132 opposite the mating end 130. The mating ends 130 areconfigured to mate with the mating ends 30 of complementary signalcontacts 24 of the electrical connector 20 that is to be mated with theelectrical connector 120. In this regard, the connector housing 122 caninclude alignment features 123 configured to mate with correspondingalignment features of the complementary connector. The alignment feature123 is illustrated as including a post that is configured to be insertedinto the recess 23 of the electrical connector 20.

The mounting terminals 132 are configured to connect to a substrate 133,such as a printed circuit board 133 illustrated in FIG. 6. In oneembodiment, the mounting terminals 132 are inserted throughcorresponding plated through-hole 135 of the printed circuit board 133.Alternatively, the mounting terminals 132 can be surface-mounted to theprinted circuit board. The mounting terminals 132 can further besoldered to the printed circuit board 133 as desired. Thus, the signalcontacts 124 can place the printed circuit board 133 in electricalcommunication with the complementary electrical connector 20, and thusthe printed circuit board 33, when the electrical connectors 20 and 120are mated. The signal contacts 124 are thus configured to transmitsignal data between the printed circuit boards 33 and 133. Asillustrated, the mating end 130 extends in a direction perpendicular tothe mounting terminal 132, such that the signal contacts 124 can bereferred to as right-angle contacts. Alternatively, the signal contacts124 can be constructed as a “vertical” or “mezzanine” arrangementwhereby the mating end 130 extends in a direction parallel to themounting terminals 132.

Likewise, the power contacts 126 each define a mating end 134 at oneend, and a mounting terminal 136 at an opposed end. The mating ends 134are configured to mate with complementary mating ends, such as matingends 34 of complementary power contacts 26 of the electrical connector20 that is to be mated with the electrical connector 120. The mountingends 136 are configured to connect to the printed circuit board 133. Inone embodiment, the mounting ends 136 are inserted through respectiveplated through-holes 163 of the printed circuit board 133. Thethrough-holes 163 can define mounting locations 166 that define afootprint constructed as described with respect to the footprint 68described above with respect to FIG. 3B. Alternatively, the mountingterminals 136 can be surface-mounted to the printed circuit board. Themounting terminals 136 can further be soldered to the printed circuitboard 133 as desired. Thus, the power contacts 126 can place the printedcircuit board 133 in electrical communication with the complementaryelectrical connector 20, and thus the printed circuit board 33, when theelectrical connectors 20 and 120 are mated. The power contacts 126 arethus configured to transmit signal data between the printed circuitboards 33 and 133.

As illustrated, the mating ends 134 extend in a direction perpendicularto the mounting terminals 136 such that the power contacts 126 can bereferred to as right-angle contacts. Thus, the electrical connector 120can be referred to as a right-angle connector. Alternatively, the powercontacts 126 can be constructed as a “vertical” or “mezzanine”arrangement whereby the mating ends 134 extend in a direction parallelto the mounting terminals 136. Furthermore, because the mating ends 130and 134 of the contacts 124 and 126, respectively, are configured toreceive their complementary contacts, the signal contacts 124 and powercontacts 126 can be referred to as “receptacle” contacts, and theelectrical connector 120 can be referred to as a “receptacle” connector.

As shown in FIGS. 5A-B, each of the receptacle power contacts 126includes a pair of opposed, preferably planar and parallel, side wallsmajor side walls 138 and 140. The side walls 138 and 140 extend forwardin a front projecting portion 142 that forms a medial plug receivingspace 164. The distance between the side walls 138 and 140 at frontportion 142 is such that the projection 42 of the plug contact 26 isreceivable in the plug contact receiving space 164, with the beams 44being resiliently deflected toward the center plane of the contact 26.The deflection causes the beams 44 to develop outwardly directed forces,thereby pressing the arcuate contact sections 48 against the innersurfaces of the front portions 142 forming the receiving space 164, todevelop suitable contact normal force. The side walls 138 and 140 alsoinclude respective panels 152 and 154. The side walls 138 and 140 arejoined together by generally arcuate bridging elements 160 and 162.Preferably, the receptacle contact 126 is also stamped or otherwiseformed in a single piece from a strip of phosphor bronze alloy,beryllium copper alloy, or other suitable electrically conductivematerial. The receptacle contacts 126 can be constructed as described inU.S. Pat. No. 6,319,075, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference as if set forth in its entirety herein.

The mounting terminal 136 of each power contact 126 includes a first atleast one mounting terminal 156 (a pair of terminals 156 as illustrated)that extends down from an edge of the panel 152, and a second at leastone mounting terminal 158 (a pair of mounting terminals 158 asillustrated) that extends down from an edge of the panel 154. Themounting terminals 156 and 158 can comprise through hole,solder-to-board pins (as shown), press fit pins or surface mount tails,or any alternatively constructed terminal as desired. The mountingterminals 156 are longitudinally offset with respect to the mountingterminals 158, and can thus define a footprint as described above withrespect to the footprint 68 defined by the header contacts 26illustrated in FIG. 3B. FIG. 6 illustrates the printed circuit board 133as including a plurality of mounting locations 166, which can beprovided as plated through holes in one embodiment that are configuredto receive the mounting terminals 156 and 158 of the power contacts 126.The terminals can define a square or rectangular cross section, or anysuitable cross-sectional shape as desired.

While various embodiments have been described in combination with theelectrical header connector 20 and the electrical receptacle connector120, it should be appreciated that the various structures featuresdescribed herein can also be applicable to differently constructedheader connectors. It should be appreciated that additional electricalconnectors are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,075, and that suchconnectors along with alternatively constructed connectors are suitablefor incorporating the features associated with the mounting terminals asdescribed herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-8, a right-angle header connector 220 isconstructed as described above with respect to the header connector 20.The reference numerals of connector 220 corresponding to like structureof the electrical connector 20 are incremented by 200 for the purposesof clarity. Thus, the header connector 220 includes a connector housing222, and a plurality of electrical contacts 221, including a pluralityof electrical signal contacts 224 and power contacts 226. The connectorhousing 222 includes alignment features 232 in the form of flared latchears that can engage mating structure of the connector that is to bemated to the connector 222. An example of suitable mating structure isillustrated in FIG. 10A as squeezable latch arms 423. The signalcontacts 224 can be constructed as pins, each including a body portion228 having a mating end 230 at one end, and a mounting terminal 232opposite the mating end. The power contacts 226 each define a mating end234 at one end, and a mounting terminal 236 opposite the mating end 234.The mounting terminals 232 and 236 are configured to connect to asubstrate such as a printed circuit board 233 at respective mountinglocations 266, which can include plated though-holes 235 and 263,respectively. The mounting terminals 236 define a first plurality ofmounting terminals 256 and a second plurality of mounting terminals 258that are longitudinally offset from each other, and can thus define afootprint as described above with respect to the footprint 68 defined bythe header contacts 26 illustrated in FIG. 3B.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A-B, an electrical connector 320 is illustratedincluding reference numerals corresponding to like structure of theelectrical connector 20 incremented by 300 for the purposes of clarity.The electrical connector 320 is illustrated as a cable header connectorhaving a housing 322 that includes alignment/retention features 323 inthe form of squeezable latch arms that can releasably engage matingstructure on a complementary connector that is to be mated to theconnector 320. An example of suitable mating structure includes thelatch ears of the type illustrated in FIG. 7A. Of course, the latch earscould be incorporated into a receptacle connector, for instanceconnector 520 illustrated in FIG. 11A, that is configured to be matedwith the header connector 320.

The connector housing 322 retains a plurality of electrical contacts321, including a plurality of signal contacts 324 and power contacts336. The signal contacts 324 and power contacts 326 extend horizontally,such that the mating ends 330 of the signal contacts 324 aresubstantially parallel to the opposed mounting terminals, and the matingends 334 of the power contacts 326 are substantially parallel to theopposed mounting terminals. The connector housing 322 further defines amating interface 329 and a mounting interface 337 that is orientedsubstantially parallel to the mating interface 329. Thus, the contactssignal contacts 324, power contacts 326, and the electrical connector320, can be referred to as vertical contacts, or a vertical connector320. The power contacts 326 can connect at their mounting ends to apower cable 327, for instance in the manner described in U.S. Pat. No.6,319,075. The cable 327 can be connected at its other end to anysuitable electrical component. The mating ends of the signal contacts324 and the power contacts 326 can be received inside the mating ends ofa complimentary receptacle connector that is configured to be mated withthe header connector 320. The mating receptacle connector can beconstructed as described above with respect to the receptacle connector120 or any alternatively constructed receptacle connector having, forinstance, a footprint as described above with respect to the footprint68 of the electrical connector 20.

Referring now to FIGS. 10A-B, a receptacle connector 420 is illustratedincluding reference numerals corresponding to like structure of theelectrical connector 20 incremented by 400. The connector 420 isillustrated as a cable connector having a connector housing 422 thatretains a plurality of electrical contacts 421, including a plurality ofsignal contacts 424 and a plurality of power contacts 436. The connectorhousing 422 includes alignment/retention features 423 in the form ofsqueezable latch arms that can releasably engage mating structure on acomplementary connector that is to be mated to the connector 420. Anexample of suitable mating structure includes the latch ears of the typeillustrated in FIG. 7A. Of course, the latch ears could be incorporatedinto a receptacle connector that is configured to be mated with theheader connector 320.

The signal contacts 424 and power contacts 426 extend horizontally, suchthat their mating ends are parallel with their mounting ends. Similarly,the mating end of the connector housing 422 is oriented substantiallyparallel to the mounting end. Thus, the contacts 424 and 426, and theconnector 420, can be referred to as vertical contacts, or a verticalconnector 420 respectively. The power contacts 426 can connect at theirmounting ends to a power cable 427, for instance in the manner describedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,075. The cable 427 can be the same cable as cable327, thereby electrically coupling the connectors 320 and 420, or thecable 427 can be different from the cable 327 and can connect to anysuitable electrical device. The mating ends of the contacts 424 and 426can receive the mating ends of a complimentary header connector that isconfigured to be mated with the header connector 420. The housing 422can further include a shroud 425 that surrounds and protects the matingends of the contacts 424 and 426. The mating header connector can beconstructed as described above with respect to the header connector 20,connector 220, or any suitable alternatively constructed headerconnector having a footprint as described with respect to the footprint68 of the electrical connector 20.

Therefore, it should be appreciated that an electrical header orreceptacle connector defining a footprint at its mounting interface asdescribed above with respect to the footprint 68 of the electricalconnector 20 can alternatively be configured to connect to a cableconnector. The cable connector and/or mating connector can be aright-angle, or a vertical or mezzanine connector as desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 11A-12, an electrical receptacle connector 520 isconfigured to mate with a header connector, such as the header connector320 described above. The connector 520 is illustrated having referencenumerals corresponding to like structure of the receptacle connector 120incremented by 400 for the purposes of clarity. The connector 520 isconstructed as described above with respect to the electrical connector120, however the alignment/retention features are provided as latch earsconfigured to engage complementary structure of an electrical connectorthat is to be mated to the connector 520. For instance, the latch earscan engage latch arms of the type described above with reference to theconnector 320 illustrated in FIG. 9A.

Referring to FIGS. 13A-C, and as described above, the mounting ends ofthe signal and power contacts of any of the electrical connectorsdescribed above can be constructed in accordance with alternativeembodiments. For instance, a header connector 620 is illustrated havingreference numerals corresponding to like elements of the electricalconnector 20 incremented by 600 for the purposes of clarity. Asillustrated, the connector housing 622 supports a plurality ofelectrical contacts 621 including a plurality of power contacts 626,though the electrical connector 620 could alternatively or additionallyinclude signal contacts. The power contacts 626 are configured totransmit AC power or DC power, though the housing could alternativelyinclude dedicated AC power contacts and dedicated DC power contacts ifdesired.

As shown in FIG. 13D, each of the power contacts 626 can be constructedas described above with respect to the power contact 26, however themounting terminal 636 of each power contact 626 include only oneplurality of mounting terminals that extend down from only one of theside walls 638 and 640. In the illustrated embodiment, the powercontacts 626 each include a plurality of mounting terminals 658 thatextend down from the panel 654, such that the panel 652 is devoid ofmounting terminals, though the arrangement could be reversed if desiredsuch that mounting terminals extend down from the panel 652 and notpanel 654. Thus, each power contact 626 defines a pair of spaced sidewalls in the form of laterally spaced panels 652 and 654, but only asingle column of mounting terminals. Otherwise stated, each powercontact defines fewer columns of mounting terminals than spaced sidewalls. The power contact 626 is illustrated as including four mountingterminals 658 spaced along the panel 654, though any number of mountingterminals 658 can be provided. It should be appreciated that themounting ends of one or more, up to all, of the contacts of any of theconnectors described herein can be constructed as illustrated anddescribed herein with respect to the connector 620.

It should be appreciated in alternative constructions that the powercontacts 626, and any other contacts such as signal contacts, could beconstructed with any number of side walls, including one or moresidewalls, that define one or more columns of mounting terminals asdescribed herein. Alternatively, the contacts can be provided asindividual pins or any alternative structure as desired that definemounting terminals as described herein.

While an increased distance between adjacent mounting terminals reducesthe chances that current will arc across the terminals during operation,it should be appreciated that other types of contacts may benefit fromprovided an increased distance between the mounting terminals, or at anyother location along the length of the contacts. Thus, the mountingterminals of signal contacts, for instance, may be spaced apart asdescribed herein. While an increased distance between mounting tails hasbeen described herein in accordance with a staggered terminalarchitecture, it should be appreciated that the mounting terminals 658need not be staggered to increase the distance between terminals ofadjacent columns with respect to conventional connectors that areconstructed with mounting terminals 658 extending from both side walls638 and 640.

For instance, FIG. 14A illustrates a schematic view of a footprint 668defined by the mounting end 636 of four power contacts 626A-D of theelectrical connector 620 from a bottom plan view of the connector 620,though the electrical connector 620 can include any number of contacts626 as desired. It can be seen that all terminals 658 are disposed alonga single column 1, and that a second column that would otherwise havebeen defined by the other side wall 638 is devoid of contacts.Therefore, the column pitch CP between adjacent columns of contacts isincreased by the lateral distance LD between the side walls 638 and 640relative to a conventional connector having terminals extending from theside wall 638 that are not staggered with respect to the terminalsextending from the side wall 640. In this regard, the side walls 638that are devoid of terminals may be referred to as spacer walls in thatthey further space the terminals of adjacent contacts from each other.In FIG. 14A, the terminals 658 of adjacent contacts 626 are disposedalong common laterally extending rows 1-4.

While the connector 620 can define the footprint 668 as described above,it should be further appreciated that the mounting terminals 658 canfurther be longitudinally staggered in the manner described above, forinstance with respect to the first and second plurality of mountingterminals 56 and 58 of the electrical connector 20. FIG. 14B illustratesa footprint 668′ that can be defined when adjacent power contacts 626define a plurality of mounting terminals 658 that are longitudinallystaggered with respect to the mounting terminals 658 of adjacent powercontacts 626.

In particular, the mounting terminals 658 of each power contact 626 arearranged in a first column (column 1) of the respective contact, whilethe second column (column 2) is devoid of mounting terminals asdescribed above with reference to FIG. 14A. It can thus be said that themounting terminals 658 are arranged in at least one column, which canfor instance include be column 1 as illustrated in FIG. 14B, or caninclude columns 1 and 2 as described above with respect to FIG. 3B. Eachcolumn 1 of terminals 658 defined by a given power contact 626 includesa select terminal that is longitudinally offset with respect to alladjacent terminals disposed along an immediately adjacent column of animmediately adjacent contact. Thus, the select mounting terminal can besaid to be disposed longitudinally between adjacent terminals disposedalong an immediately adjacent column of an immediately adjacent contact.The adjacent column is thus devoid of a mounting terminal that is inlateral alignment with the select mounting terminal. For instance, eachpower contact 626 defines a first or upper terminal 658′, a second orlower terminal 658″, a third terminal 658′″ disposed below the upperterminal 658′, and a fourth terminal 658″″ disposed below the thirdterminal 658′″ and above the second terminal 658″. The lower terminal658″ of the power contact 626A is disposed longitudinally between thetwo lowermost terminals 658″″ and 658″ of the column 1 of theimmediately adjacent contact 626B.

It should be appreciated that no terminals are disposed between theterminals 658 of contact 626B along column 1 between which the lowerterminal 658 of contact 626A is disposed. Otherwise stated, no terminalsare disposed between rows 6 and 8 along column 1 of contact 626B.Because the lower terminal 658″ of contact 26A is disposedlongitudinally midway between the adjacent terminals 658″″ and 658″ ofcontact 26B, the terminals 658 define an isosceles triangle 672. Theangles defined by the vertices of the triangle 672 can be dependent onthe row pitch RP of the terminals and also on the column pitch CP. Itshould be appreciated that while terminals of one column are illustratedas being disposed longitudinally midway between the terminals of anadjacent column of the adjacent connector, the terminals can be offsetby any longitudinal distance as desired.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 13A-D and 14B, a first electricalcontact 626A and a second electrical contact 626B each define a matingend and an opposed plurality of mounting terminals 658. Each of thefirst and second electrical contacts 626A and 626B defines first andsecond longitudinally elongate side walls that are laterally spaced fromeach other, such that the second side wall of the first electricalcontact 626A is disposed adjacent the first side wall of the secondelectrical contact 626B. Each of the first and second side walls of eachof the first and second electrical contacts 626A and 626B extend alongrespective first and second columns, such that the mounting terminals658 of the first and second electrical contacts 626A and 626B arearranged in respective the first columns 1 and not the respective secondcolumns. The mounting terminals 658 of the first electrical contact 626Aare longitudinally staggered with respect to the mounting terminals 658of the second electrical contact 626B.

A select one of the mounting terminals of the first electrical contact626 (e.g., mounting terminal 658″) is disposed substantiallylongitudinally midway between a pair of adjacent mounting terminals(e.g., mounting terminals 658″ and 658″″) of the second electricalcontact 626B.

Thus, the terminals 658 of adjacent contact 626 can be further spacedapart with respect to the terminals 658. It should be appreciated that aconnector can be in compliance with Underwriters Laboratories (UL)Standard 60950 when constructed as described with reference to at leastthe connector 620.

It should be noted that the illustrations and discussions of theembodiments shown in the figures are for exemplary purposes only, andshould not be construed limiting the disclosure. One skilled in the artwill appreciate that the present disclosure contemplates variousembodiments. It should be further appreciated that the features andstructures described and illustrated in accordance one embodiment canapply to all embodiments as described herein, unless otherwiseindicated. Additionally, it should be understood that the conceptsdescribed above with the above-described embodiments may be employedalone or in combination with any of the other embodiments describedabove.

1. An electrical connector comprising: a connector housing defining amating interface and an opposed mounting interface; a first electricalcontact supported by the connector housing and a second electricalcontact supported by the housing, each of the first and secondelectrical contacts defining a mating end and an opposed plurality ofmounting terminals, wherein (i) the mounting terminals of each of thefirst and second electrical contacts are arranged in respective firstand second longitudinally elongate columns that are laterally adjacent,such that no mounting terminals are disposed laterally between the firstand second adjacent columns, (ii) the second column of the firstelectrical contact is disposed laterally adjacent the first column ofthe second electrical contact such that no mounting terminals aredisposed laterally between the second column of the first electricalcontact and the first column of the second electrical contact, and (iii)at least a first mounting terminal of a select one of the first columnsis offset in the longitudinal direction with respect all of the mountingterminals of at least one of the second columns.
 2. The electricalconnector as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and secondelectrical contacts comprises first and second laterally spaced sidewalls, and the mounting terminals comprise a first plurality of mountingterminals extending from the first side wall and a second plurality ofmounting terminals extending from the second side wall.
 3. Theelectrical connector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first mountingterminal of at least a select one of the first columns is disposedlongitudinally between a pair of mounting terminals of at least a selectone of the second columns.
 4. The electrical connector as recited inclaim 3, wherein the select one of the first columns and the select oneof the second columns are of the first electrical contact.
 5. Theelectrical connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the select one ofthe first columns and the select one of the second columns are of thesecond and first electrical contact, respectively.
 6. The electricalconnector as recited in claim 3, wherein the first mounting terminal isdisposed substantially longitudinally midway between the pair ofadjacent mounting terminals.
 7. The electrical connector as recited inclaim 3, wherein no additional mounting terminals are disposedlongitudinally between the pair of mounting terminals.
 8. The electricalconnector as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second electricalcontacts comprises a plurality of power contacts.
 9. The electricalconnector as recited in claim 1, wherein the second column of the firstelectrical contact is spaced closer to the first column of the firstelectrical contact than the first column of the second electricalcontact.
 10. An electrical connector comprising: a housing defining amating interface and an opposed mounting interface; a first electricalcontact supported by the housing and a second electrical contactsupported by the housing, each electrical contact defining a mating endand an opposed plurality of mounting terminals, wherein (i) each of thefirst and second electrical contacts defines first and secondlongitudinally elongate side walls that are laterally spaced from eachother, such that the second side wall of the first electrical contact isdisposed adjacent the first side wall of the second electrical contact,(ii) each of the first and second side walls of each of the first andsecond electrical contacts extend along respective first and secondcolumns, (iii) the mounting terminals of the first and second electricalcontacts are arranged in respective the first columns and not therespective second columns, and (iv) the mounting terminals of the firstelectrical contact are longitudinally staggered with respect to themounting terminals of the second electrical contact.
 11. The electricalconnector as recited in claim 10, wherein a select one of the mountingterminals of the first electrical contact is disposed substantiallylongitudinally midway disposed between a pair of adjacent mountingterminals of the second electrical contact.
 12. The electrical connectoras recited in claim 10, wherein the first and second electrical contactscomprise power contacts.
 13. The electrical connector as recited inclaim 10, wherein no mounting terminals are disposed laterally betweenthe first columns of the first and second electrical contacts.
 14. Amethod to reduce arcing between mounting terminals of power contacts,the method comprising the steps of: providing an electrical connectorwith that defines a plurality of mounting terminals arranged in aplurality of substantially parallel columns; eliminating selected onesof the mounting terminals such that mounting terminals of a first columnare longitudinally offset with respect to all mounting terminals of anadjacent column.